The present invention relates to polymeric emulsions and to varnishes.
Due to increasingly more stringent regulations limiting the volatile organic content (VOC) of coatings, e.g., paints and varnishes, and the ease of handling water-based materials, the coating industry is continuously reformulating solvent-based coatings to meet VOC specifications and, wherever possible, replacing solvent-based products with water-based materials.
However, varnishes, which are required to possess block resistance, good gloss, and exceptional resistance to (a) water, (b) 50 weight percent (wt %) aqueous ethanol solution, and (c) mild alkali, e.g., 1 wt % aqueous trisodium polyphosphate (TSP) solution, have remained predominantly the exclusive area of solvent-based formulations.